Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini Cleared Of Corruption Charges In FIFA Trial

On July 8, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona cleared charges of corruption against former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini.

Blatter was accused of fraud after paying two million Swiss francs (US$ 2.05 million) to Platini as part of a 'gentlemen's agreement'.

The court ruled the 'gentlemen's agreement' payment to be credible after a seven-year investigation. Both Platini and Blatter were some of the most influential figures in world football.

Michel Platini was a reputed French football player. He won the coveted Ballon d'Or trophy three times in a row in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

Blatter was the FIFA President for 17 years before the allegations forced him to resign. His secretary Gianluigi Infantino succeeded as the current FIFA President.

Platini was replaced by Aleksander Čeferin as the UEFA President in 2016 after he was forced to resign, following the corruption charges.